The Labor enquirer., 1887-01-01
The LABOR PART !:
No Toadyism, Jobs, Political
Bummefs and Trick
stsrs Wanted. Is
We Are Opposed to Republican
Monopoly and Democratic
Competition. i
The Flag Of international Brother
heod-A Red, White and Blue
Campaign in 1888. fl

Campaign in 1888. h
For The Enquirer ti
Now that the labor movement 10 tai
ing political form everv man ought I
CONSIDER himself committee Of one 4
help the party keep outAll side issuea
Eavoid toadyisnh b to old parties and oil
party names, keep clear Of olitical io6a
political bummers aud tricksters. and +
encourage the adoption of simple. prac
tlcal platform. AS such selfappointe(
committee / want to file my protes
against naming the party anything bui
the labor Party. y \
Calling it progressive, digressive q
transgressive democracy or Republican
ism of any name or color will only ex
cite prejudice in the minds of all per
SONS coming from the old opposing
party. Adopting any part Of the name
of any old party is simply toadyism
There is certain class of dudes who
would join the party but who are toe
high-toned to register Themselves ~ 10
borers. Such people should be debarred
from the party. The object offhis move
is clearly to elevate labor and the way
to do it is to spike the word LahorAai
the head of the mast. lt
Republican, AMI democrat are two
words with only one meaning. A repub.
lie was established years ago and is in no
danger of any tendency whatever back
tomonarchy. and for that reason We
have no farther use for the republican n
part of its name. And what is true Of
the republican party Is true of the DEM
ocratic party, and certainly we do not,
even by implication. want to assume
any of the sins of either of those old par
ties,
Neither do we want any part Of either
of their hobbies. Republican protection
and democratic free tradelare both di-
rectlv opposed to labor reform. Pro-
lection is monopoly. Free trade is nm
limited competition. The Labor party
is striving for cooperation which is op-
posed to both monopoly and competi-
ton. By adopting the name or any part
of the name of either of the old parties
we shall be in danger Of favering some
of their old policies. We do not oppose
republicanism or democracy in their
true sense. We accept them as estab-
lished principles. but we do oppose the
monopoly Of the republican party and
the competition of the democratic
party, and our platform should dis
tinctly declare these two facts.
Neither do we want to call ourselves
the National Labor party, for it is q
party belonging to no particular nation.
Neither do we want to call it the Inter
national Labor party, for this will ex-
cite national prejudice without return
ing any benefit for the sacrifice. More
than this, long names are a sign Of weak
ness.
The red flag has now come to be
adopted by about all nations as an inter.
national cblor. The church takes the
blood of Christ as emblematical of Uni
versal Brotherhood. The Labor party
can take the blood col)red flag as en-
blematical of Universal Brotherhood.
This is the way the flag is understood
by all who carry it. The opposition
charge that the red flag is opposed to
the stars and stripes. This is not true /.
for it is not opposed t5 any national aw
on earth. 1t is an international or
worlds flag, and shot Id fy at the mast
head over every building where an in
ternational congress Is assembled, and
should be surrounded Wv all the fiags of
all the nations in that congress assem-
bled. Nearly every n A..isuAi d ,g has the
red in it as an emblem of Brotherhood.
White is the univerbal flag OF trlc,,
peace and surrender Blue is emblem
stical of the purity Of the "kingdom Of
heaven = wherein on our flag we have
put our states as stats. IN
Give US the red al 3 party dag, and
then we might assign the blue tothe re-
publican In honor Of their feelings (bIue)
and of their blue Dl5od; and the old 50:
called peace policy of the democratic
party would entitle them to the white.
They might look a little pale, too. If the
Labor party turned out in fpll force.
We might go into the !csmpaign . wear
from next November with the three
party flags, red, white and blue, and
with proper turn out the final count
would leave the red at the head and the
blue at the bottom of the list That
would be the red. white and blne cam
paign. No American citisen could kick
at that.
But, seriously. II we adopt any party
color it should b red. History will
know our party % the Labor party. no
matter how many fancy names We try
to fasten upon il. and We may ss' vol
adopt that brief and potent name .
once. and urge the adoption Of 1 plat
form distinctly denouncing both pro
lection and free trade and declaring fol
CO. operation. This is what We are AM
what we mean and We may - we'll g